_The reasons why Great Britain hath not hitherto furnished foreign nations with this part of her product, but more especially her seamen, are obvious. Our mariners, when at home, do not dislike beer, either as to their palates, or its effects on their constitution; but when abroad, spiritous liquors, or new wines, often the product of an enemy’s country, are substituted in lieu thereof. The disuse of beers, on these occasions, has been owing to the uncertainty of the principles on which they were brewed; the maintaining them sound in long voyages and in hot climates, could not sufficiently be depended upon; and it has been supposed they could not be procured at so easy a rate as wines, brandies, or rums, purchased abroad. The first of these objections, the author hopes, by this work, to remove; and, were all the duties to be allowed on what would be brewed for this purpose, our seamen might be furnished with beer stronger than Spanish wine, and at a less expence, the mean price of malt and hops being taken for seven years. It is true that, in times of peace, the seamen in his Majesty’s service are not very numerous, but the number of those then employed by merchants is considerable. I should not have presumed to mention this, but on account of the encouragement given to the exportation of corn, and to many manufactures of British growth or British labor. It is computed that, in England and Wales, are brewed three millions five hundred thousand quarters of malt yearly, for which purpose upwards of one hundred and fifty thousand weight of hops are used. The improvement of the brewery might become a means of increasing the consumption of the growth of our country, viz. of barley, to more than one hundred thousand quarters, and of hops to between fourteen and fifteen thousand weight annually._ _Whether this be an object deserving the attention of the legislative power, or of the landed interest, and what might be the proper means to put it successfully in practice, are considerations which do not belong to this place; it being sufficient here to point out, how universally beneficial it is to establish the art of brewing on true and invariable principles._ _This being the first attempt, that has been made, to reduce this art to rules and principles, the Author hopes he has a just claim to the indulgence of the public, for any errors he unwillingly may have adopted; far from believing that there is no room left for future improvements, he recommends it to those, who, blessed with superior talents and more leisure than himself, may be inclined to try their skill in the same field, to watch closely the steps of_ NATURE; _after the strictest enquiry made, it will be found, the success of brewing beers and ales wholly depends on a true imitation of the wines she forms._